Advanced Income Tax Rulings

The federal government has taken steps recently to attract more investment in Canada. That’s sure to create some new tax questions that require Advanced Income Tax Rulings (AITR). A new measure to facilitate a faster response was announced on September 14 and is intended to attract business investment of large amounts. Specifically, for investments of $1 billion or more, the CRA will prioritize advance income tax rulings. The measure took effect the day it was announced. Here’s what you need to know:

Ready for a fourth tax bracket?  That’s just one piece of news in the Manitoba Economic and Fiscal Outlook delivered March 8, in advance of provincial election in which the current government will face significant challenges; now even more so with the announcement of  a $770 million deficit.

It’s important that fragile investments stay intact as markets recover. For this reason, it makes absolutely no sense to overpay any personal income taxes in advance on the March 15 quarterly instalment remittance deadline. Astute tax and financial advisors will make sure their clients encroach on only the right amount of capital for these purposes, especially if they are retirees.

According to Statistics Canada, Canada’s fourth quarter current account deficit has increased by $0.1 billion to $15.4 billion. This is a seasonally adjusted amount. On an annual basis, our current account deficit increased from $44.9 billion to $65.7 billion in 2015.

Applications for the 2016 DAC Young Advisors Award are now being accepted for the Distinguished Advisor Conference Young Advisors Award.  The award is open to young advisors actively engaged in the financial services industry for at least five years and under the age of 35.

This heartwarming piece from Knowledge Bureau Master Instructor, Walter Harder, DFA-Tax Services Specialist™, comes with a challenge to advisors.

Canadians who reach age 65 are more likely than ever to live into their nineties, largely due to advances in preventing heart disease, and to Baby Boomers leading healthier lifestyles. This trend towards increased longevity means that retirement income planning must cover a much longer period, in which a focus on continued accumulation and investing is as important as tax-efficient withdrawal of funds.